A Little Bit of Truth

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Pages 61-74

"And with this doubt, his whole statement fell to pieces, and I wondered if there wasn't something a little sinister about him, after all," (Fitzgerald, 65).

After what seemed to be a pointless two and a half page recap of the guest list from the summer, we finally get to decode the man, the myth, and the legend: Jay Gatsby.

Or, at least I thought we did...

Well, I mean, at least we got some information into his past that helps to outline the entity that is the great Gatsby. But at the first sign of doubt from Nick, I began, as well, to doubt the story that flowed forcefully from the lips of Mr. Gatsby. The only credible item was his involvement in the war; it had been proven earlier by his recognition of Carraway and again by his medal from Montenegro.

Recalling the claim I made earlier of illegal ongoings connected to Gatsby, the meeting with Mr. Wolfsheim only seemed to reassure my assertion. Wolfsheim's tale of an acquaintance being shot down along with a shady business proposal reveal his illicit background. Adding to his resume, Gatsby tells us that he fixed the World's Series.

Also, the interaction between Tom Buchanan and Gatsby was awfully suspicious. What is Gatsby hiding from Tom? What in his past could be so shameful?